We help you solve your business and financial problems. We use our knowledge and experience to help you become more profitable. Contact us today. Since the initial consultation is free, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

As an acknowledgement and as recognition of the work we have done for them one of our long time clients has instituted an employee benefit program which will help us grow our personal tax return business.They have announced to each of their employees that for tax year 2012 they will subsidize a portion of the cost to have their personal 2012 Federal and State income taxes prepared by Monarch. Obviously this is a cost to the client who began this program and is sincerely appreciated by us.Based on your own business situation we would welcome any similar program you may think appropriate to set up. If you think it might be something you think of value give us a call and we can discuss how a program could be structured.Your company's participation could be on either a percentage or specific dollar amount of our fee. It could also be set up to only include only a certain class of employee.If you are interested we will review with you what our normal fees are for Federal and State 1040a and 1040 (including itemized deductions) preparation so you can determine the maximum cost that might be incurred. We will also commit that if the individual had their return prepared professionally last year our fee will not exceed that amount.If you are interested give us a call and we can discuss further.Sincerely,Monarch Financial Group, LLC Certified Public Accountants

We help you solve your business and financial problems. We use our knowledge and experience to help you become more profitable. Contact us today. Since the initial consultation is free, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Sales of Chicago-area homes surged more than 19 percent last month, capping a strong year with the most area home sales since 2007.The Illinois Association of Realtors said Tuesday that 7,372 single-family homes and condominiums sold in the nine-county area last month, up from 6,184 in December 2011.The month was the most active December since 7,530 homes sold in December 2006.For all of last year, 90,365 homes sold in the Chicago area, up 26.7 percent from the year before and the most home sales since 92,657 traded in 2007."Throughout 2012 we saw signs the state's housing market was recovering," Michael D. Oldenettel, president of the association and managing broker/owner of RE/MAX Results Plus in Downstate Jacksonville, said in a statement.In the city of Chicago, 1,806 homes sold last month, up 14.6 percent from 1,576 sales in December 2011. City sales rose 22.4 percent last year compared with 2011.The Realtors group's sales figures include new and existing homes. Its nine-county Chicago area consists of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.Michael GilianoPrudential Rubloff PropertiesCity 312-264-1282Sub 630-816-1363EFax 312.264.1482 Click on Website for Properties & More: www.GilianoGroup.com

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The IRS has indicated it’ll offer some leniency in its enforcement of perhaps the most controversial requirement of the healthcare reform law.Since the law’s inception almost three years ago, employers have been under the impression that come 2014 they’ll be required to provide affordable health insurance to each of their full-time workers or risk paying a penalty of $2,000 or $3,000 per worker if just one opts to receive a federal subsidy to purchase insurance in an exchange.Now that’s only mostly true.Must cover at least 95%In its latest round of proposed regs, the IRS said the per-full-time-employee penalty will not apply so long as employers offer coverage to at least all but 5% of its full-time employees — or five full-time employees, if that number’s greater — and their dependents up to age 26.Without this flexibility, many employers could’ve been forced to pay the costly penalty even when they were trying in good faith to provide their entire full-time workforce with healthcare coverage.Who will this help — and why?Say an employer with more than 50 full-time employees offers all of its full-timers affordable health coverage, thus avoiding the per-employee-penalty. But over the period of one month, it has a part-time employee who averages more than 30 hours per week.Under the law as it was previously written, if that employee were to receive a premium subsidy to buy insurance on a state or federal exchange, that employer could’ve been assessed the per-employee-penalty on top of paying premiums for each of its other employees.But now the new regs give employers in situations like this a little leeway.The IRS had hinted that a regulation like this was coming back in May of 2011 when it said the penalty would not apply, so long as “substantially all” full-time employees were offered coverage. But, of course, it didn’t define what “substantially all” meant.Now we know — it’s all but 5% of full-timers (or five, if that number’s greater).Also included in the regs was the IRS’s announcement, which we covered previously, stating that while coverage offered to full-time employees had to be “affordable,” that’s not the case for insurance offered to spouses and dependents.

This week is full of economic data. Today there will be a report on retail sales for December, which is expected to increase by 0.2% from November’s sales. While December’s numbers are likely decent from the holidays, economists are wondering how much the tax increases will affect retail sales in the first quarter.On Wednesday the NAHB housing market index will be released. Last month the index ticked up two points, bringing the total to eight months of consecutive increases. We are almost at a breakeven level which means that more builders find conditions good rather than bad.Thursday there will be reports on housing starts, building permits, and jobless claims. Housing starts declined in November but December’s numbers are expected to rise to 0.887 million units. Jobless claims may start to settle down and be a better indicator of labor market conditions.Friday schedule is light with only a consumer sentiment report. With all the uncertainty in December from the fiscal cliff the consumer sentiment index was down nearly 10 points from November. Economists are expecting the sentiment index for the start of January to increase marginally.Linus SchwemerSenior Loan OfficerNMLS #191784 - 1st Advantage Mortgage NMLS #25511st Advantage Mortgage, a Draper and Kramer company630-376-0477 (Phone)630-261-2209 (Fax)630-638-5702 (Cell)linus.schwemer@1amllc.comwww.linusschwemer.com

Wednesday, January 30th, 5:30-7:30pmTrinity has offered solid test scores, proven curriculum, and a dedicated staff in a Christian environment for more than 148 years. We offer 2 1/2 yr-old Tiger Tots-8th Grade. Come and see if we might be a good fit for your family for 2013! Prefer a private tour of our campus? Call Dana at (708)839-1444 x224 to schedule a visit.

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We help you solve your business and financial problems. We use our knowledge and experience to help you become more profitable. Contact us today. Since the initial consultation is free you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

There is an opening for a part time Administrative Assistant who has good interpersonal skills. Attention to detail and the ability to use business related software a must. Normal hours 9:00AM to 2:00PM, Monday thru Thursday.